Pics: Meryick D'Silva
Daijiworld Media Network—Mangalore (MD)
Mangalore, Jul 2: The Tobacco Intervention Initiative (TII) Centre, which was set up under the department of public health dentistry of AJIDS, launched the ‘TII Campaigns for Tobacco Free Kids’ on the occasion of ‘Doctors’ Day’ on Tuesday July 1 at A J Institute, Mangalore.
Vijaya Hegde, head, department of public health dentistry, said that the pilot programme will be launched as part of the campaign at Cambridge School, Yenepoya School, and Lourdes Central School. “School teachers and children will be trained in tobacco control activities to make their school and its environment tobacco free. The main aim is to discourage children from developing the habit. Programme evaluation will be carried out and various intra and inter-school competitions will be conducted,” she said adding that such campaigns will be launched in more schools in the city in the years to come.
“Those trained children will work as volunteers to find out points that sell tobacco products within 100 meters of the school premises. Children may inform the teachers and thereby seek police assistance to take action against the shop which sells tobacco products near the school,” she said adding that the best performing school, teachers, and students will be honoured.
In her inaugural address, Dakshina Kannada zilla panchayat CEO Thulasi Maddineni said that the government and society need to launch a battle to get rid of the tobacco menace. “Kicking the habit of smoking is a very tough resolution for addicts. Hence, there are two options before the government—to ban tobacco products or educate people,” she said.
Laxmi Memorial Education Trust managing director A J Shetty, AJIDS dean B Sureschandra, vice-principal Bharath Shetty, and principals of the participating schools were guests.